A Study on the Characteristic Features of Covid-19 Deaths in a Regional Hospital in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health crisis that threatens the current health system. The sudden expansion in the need for inpatient and intensive care facilities raised concerns about optimal clinical management and resource allocation. Despite the pressing need for evidence to make context-specific decisions on COVID-19 management, evidence from South Africa remained limited. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 hospitalised patients.Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate the clinical outcomes of hospitalised adult patients (≥ 18 years old) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness at Mthatha Regional Hospital (MRH), Eastern Cape.Results: Of the 1814 patients tested for COVID-19 between 20 March 2020 and 31 July 2020 at MRH, two-thirds (65.4%) were female. About two-thirds (242) of the 392 patients (21.6%) who tested positive for this disease were hospitalised and one-third (150) were quarantined at home. The mean age of the patients tested for COVID-19 was 42.6 years and there was no difference between males and females. The mean age of hospitalised patients was 55.5 years and the mean age of hospitalised patients who died (61.3 years) was much higher than recovered (49.5 years). Overall, 188 (77.6%) hospitalised patients had clinical comorbidity on admission. Diabetes (36.8%) and hypertension (33.1%) were the most common comorbidities amongst COVID-19 hospitalised patients.Conclusion: The majority of the patients who were hospitalised for COVID-19 were elderly and had high baseline comorbidities. Advance age and underlying comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension and HIV) were associated with high mortality in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

Download Full-text

Career needs of Eastern Cape pupils in South Africa

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling ◽

10.1080/03069889600760101 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 113-128

Author(s):

George Euvrard

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Eastern Cape ◽

Career Needs

Download Full-text

African horse sickness virus andCulicoidesin the Eastern Cape, South Africa

10.1603/ice.2016.106484 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Megan Amy Riddin

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

African Horse Sickness ◽

Eastern Cape ◽

African Horse Sickness Virus

Download Full-text

Influence of Knowledge Management Practices on Public Service Delivery by Municipalities

Mousaion ◽

10.25159/2663-659x/5869 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Charleen Musonza ◽

Ndakasharwa Muchaonyerwa

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Knowledge Management ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Public Service ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Management Practices ◽

Integrated System ◽

Eastern Cape Province ◽

Eastern Cape ◽

Public Service Delivery

This study examines the influence of knowledge management (KM) practices on public service delivery by municipalities in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The study sought to determine the factors that have triggered the implementation of KM practices; the effectiveness of KM practices towards public service delivery; and the extent to which KM practices have influenced public service delivery by municipalities in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in this study. Quantitative data were collected through a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of 202 employees at the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality in the Eastern Cape. Qualitative data were collected through observations and interviews of 2 senior managers. The data collected gave a response rate of 72 per cent. The quantitative and qualitative data were analysed descriptively and presented verbatim respectively. The results indicated that the internal and external factors included in this study have contributed to the implementation of KM practices in the municipality. Furthermore, the effective use of KM practices has increased the organisational KM initiative, as well as the provision of services such as electricity, education, transport, and social services by the municipality. The study recommends the establishment of KM awareness and the establishment of an integrated system that will assist in effective knowledge sharing, retention and acquisition across municipalities in the Eastern Cape.

Download Full-text

Exploring the South African Government Communication on Land Expropriation without Compensation

Journal of Human Ecology ◽

10.31901/24566608.2020/72.1-3.3275 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 72 (1-3) ◽

Author(s):

Lungisani Moyo

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Food Security ◽

South African ◽

Small Scale ◽

South African Government ◽

Eastern Cape ◽

The South ◽

Land Expropriation ◽

African Government ◽

Government Communication

ABSTRACT This paper used qualitative methodology to explore the South African government communication and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on food security using Alice town located in the Eastern Cape Province South Africa as its case study. This was done to allow the participants to give their perceptions on the role of government communication on land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. In this paper, a total population of 30 comprising of 26 small scale farmers in rural Alice and 4 employees from the Department of Agriculture (Alice), Eastern Cape, South Africa were interviewed to get their perception and views on government communications and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. The findings of this paper revealed that the agricultural sector plays a vital role in the South African economy hence there is a great need to speed up transformation in the sector.

Download Full-text